The renowned kiwi conservation group — which recently moved its facilities down to Rotorua — announced that a baby chick had hatched last night, marking the first kiwi to be born at the new facility.
Animal lovers and conservation enthusiasts were thrilled to learn that the first chick, named Te Ngākau by local Iwi Tura Ngāti Te Ngākau, safely hatched overnight at the new location.
While bragging about a new home, the newborn kiwi is originally from the Maungataniwha Forest and their “dad” is called Fossil.
The National Kiwi Hatchery announced the exciting move last week, naming the Agrodome Rotorua as their new premises.
The globally acclaimed hatchery’s relocation allows the organisation to achieve its long-term goal of increasing the number of kiwi released annually, contributing significantly to the preservation of New Zealand’s national icon.
The move allows National Kiwi Hatchery to expand its outdoor crèche facilities, facilitating the growth of more kiwi chicks before their release into the wild.
There are two new buildings which make up the National Kiwi Hatchery – Huruhuru and Te Paonga. The name Huruhuru was gifted to the National Kiwi Hatchery to use by local Iwi.
Early on Thursday morning, Tura Ngāti Te Ngākau conducted a dawn whakanoa (blessing) of the new Whare Kiwi to ensure kiwi can be relocated from Rainbow Springs in preparation for full operations.
Tura Ngāti Te Ngākau chairman Geoff Rice said: “The Whare Kiwi, named Huruhuru after one of our tūpuna, sits between two historical Tura Ngāti Te Ngākau pā sites, Pātirakaraka to the north, and Hongohongo to the south.
“This whenua has nurtured us for many generations, we tautoko the development of the Whare Kiwi as a pā harakeke for generations of kiwi, and Aotearoa our kiwi nation. We acknowledge the commitment of Ngāi Tahu and this project.”
In its state-of-the-art new home at Agrodome, the National Kiwi Hatchery continues to be a trailblazer in supporting kiwi kaitiakitanga (guardianship), boasting a team of acclaimed scientists dedicated to setting the bar higher when it comes to technology and innovation in the field.
The big move has also helped the National Kiwi Hatchery develop and expand its outdoor crèche facilities, making way for the growth of more kiwi chicks before their release into the wild.
After a record-breaking season, having successfully hatched 153 kiwi chicks, and with the landmark 2500th kiwi hatching on the horizon, the National Kiwi Hatchery team was eager to open the doors to the public from Monday, December 11, 2023.
